Sturridge: I have fallen in love with football again

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has revealed that his move to the club has restored his love for football.

Published

22 March 2014

The 24-year-old forward has been in outstanding form for Liverpool this season, with only team-mate Luis Suarez having scored more Premier League goals than him.

The former Manchester City and Chelsea man has netted 18 strikes in 21 league fixtures in the current campaign, form that has helped his side mount a sustained bid for the title.

But just over one year ago, things were vastly different for a frustrated Sturridge, who was not playing regularly at Chelsea.

"At Chelsea when Andre Villas-Boas was there and I played more - on the right wing mainly - and I was enjoying it. It wasn't about the position, it was about playing," he said.

"But then AVB (Andre Villas-Boas) got fired, (Roberto) Di Matteo got the job and I was out of the team again. I felt I couldn't sit on the bench any longer as I had got used to playing.

"I was enjoying the feeling of putting my kit on and being on the pitch. I lost my love for the game at that point because I was back at square one.

"I wanted to learn from Didier Drogba and Nico Anelka. I thought when Didier moved on, I would be next in line but it wasn't the case."

Sturridge was convinced by former Chelsea team-mates Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun – who both count Liverpool as one of their former clubs – that the switch to Anfield was a good idea.

"When we were at Chelsea together Fernando Torres would always say Liverpool is amazing, always," he added.

"Yossi Benayoun was the same. They both said it was the best club they had played for and that the fans will make you feel amazing.

"At the time I thought, 'I need a bit of that in my life because I am so low right now, I need to feel good about myself'. It was an easy decision to come here.

"It has definitely been a perfect fit. Before I came I (also) discussed the move with my dad and uncle, as a family, but mainly my dad and my uncle (former Derby County and Wolves forward Dean Sturridge).

"My uncle said, 'It's the best place for you to go.' My dad and I shared the same opinion, that it was the perfect fit."

Sturridge, who also expressed his gratitude to former Bolton Wanderers boss Owen Coyle for giving him regular football during a particularly impressive loan spell in the 2010-11 season, now believes Liverpool can win the Premier League.

"At the beginning of the season the aim was to get into the Champions League," he continued.

"Now we're getting towards the business end and we're up there, a lot of peoples' perception is that maybe we can win the league.

"There are others in a better position than us, it's going to be very difficult, but we will see what happens.

"The way the boys are playing and the confidence we have, the camaraderie, is something I have not been part of for a long time."